Downhill

Bikes with a lot of travel and downhill-oriented, progressive geometry, massive features such as jumps and drops and rough, steep tracks can be found equally in freeride and downhill. However, there are also some differences between the two gravity disciplines in MTB sport. The freeride bike is at home on large and steep jumps and is often used for tricks, while the DH bike is a true racer and is therefore more likely to be found on fast, particularly technical routes. Which gravity type are you? Freeride Intended use: rough and demanding trails, big jumps and drops, tricks, bike park, not very suitable for uphill Travel: up to 190 mm, full-suspension, very robust construction, hardly weight-oriented Riding style:

• Playful riding in bike parks and on jumplines
• Extremely technical tracks
• Tricks and stunts on big jumps and drops
• The focus is on riding fun – no racing ambitions
• Only suitable for uphill riding to a limited extent

The term freeride originally comes from snowboarding and came about because athletes took advantage of the sheer endless possibilities in the mountains and tried out their own creative tricks and lines. Downhill riders embraced the same idea when they started creating new lines and stunts. This is how freeriding was born in MTB sport.

The freeride bike has a similarly robust construction as the classic downhill bike, but has a different gear ratio, which allows the rider to ride both downhill and uphill.

Scrub SC

Downhill Intended use: mainly bike parks, not suitable for uphill, rough and demanding downhill trails, DH race tracks, big jumps and drops Travel: up to 200 mm, full-suspension, particularly robust, hardly weight-orientated Riding style: The classic downhill bike is built for downhill racing, where riders ride a mapped-out course with many technically demanding elements such as steps, rocks, jumps or tight bends for time. Therefore, as their name suggests, downhill bikes are designed for the fastest possible downhill riding and are absolutely not suitable for riding up a mountain.

• Racers and ambitious hobby riders
• High speeds on extremely technical descents
• Big jumps and drops
• Only in the bike park
• Not suitable for uphill riding

Scrub DC 1 Scrub DC 2 Scrub DC 3

Now to the features of the bikes. We would like to show you how the differences in the bikes can be explained and how their special features influence the riding behaviour. The typical freerider usually offers you the option of pedalling up the mountain yourself, while downhill bikes are designed purely for downhill riding. This difference can be noticed in various places, which we have summarised for you here. The frame As freeriders and downhillers are ridden on similar terrain, the geometry does not differ as much as it does in other MTB categories. Freeride

• Lighter
• Steeper seat angle à Enables uphill riding
• Shorter wheelbase à More playful riding experience
• Less travel à Firmer suspension for jumping

Downhill

• Particularly robust
• Very flat seat angle à More legroom on steep terrain
• Longer wheelbase  à Safety at high speeds
• More travel à Reserves for hard impacts

Wheels, tyres and tyre size: 27.5” or 29”? This hotly debated question is less about a difference between the two categories and more about personal preference. 27.5” tyres can give your bike a more playful and agile ride, especially on tight trails or in bends, while 29” wheels provide a very sure-footed feel, especially when things get rough and fast. However, your body height can also play a role, as a bike that is too big can appear cumbersome and be harder to control. That's why you'll find 27.5” tyres on some of the smallest frame sizes and 29” tyres on the larger sizes. Suspension Freeride and downhill bikes are almost exclusively full-suspension bikes. This means that your suspension consists of a suspension fork, which dampens the front wheel, and a rear shock, which dampens the rear wheel. The suspension set-up depends on various factors such as the rider's weight, the terrain you are riding on and your personal preferences. Generally speaking, the more aggressive your riding style, the firmer you can tune your suspension. If you also ride a lot of big jumps and drops, your suspension elements should have enough pressure to prevent them from constantly bottoming out. As the downhill bike is designed for particularly fast speeds on steep and technically demanding terrain, its suspension is often a little more forgiving, that means softer.

More weight, heavy tyres, a lot of travel and a shifting system with only seven gears make it almost impossible to ride uphill on a DH bike. It is therefore only worth buying if you regularly ride in bike parks or downhill races, where you can use a lift to get up the mountain and the trails are specially designed for highly specialised bikes. Scrub The Scrub is the perfect choice for fat jump lines and demanding downhill trails. In terms of equipment, you can choose between a double crown or single crown suspension fork. The air shock with plenty of travel, powerful brakes and optimal DH geometry leave nothing to be desired. A robust aluminium frame with well thought-out details and first-class workmanship form the basis, while adapted chainstay lengths ensure a balanced riding experience in every frame size. Thanks to the mullet concept, the bike combines playful agility on narrow trails with stability and speed on demanding downhill trails.

Scrub